Unfortunately, the exposition was a bit long. I thought about cancelling the book more than once at the beginning because it just wouldn't get going.
This changed abruptly when all the characters were finally in one place and the actual story could begin. From then on, I could hardly put the book down and devoured the rest of it in one evening.
It was fun to see the intrigues of a court from two different perspectives, sometimes working with and sometimes against each other. We also start with a love hexagon, because love triangles are for beginners. I was particularly taken with one character and hope to see more of him in the future. He's cunning, ruthless and charming, which for me are all the qualities a perfect character needs.
All in all, I'm now looking forward to the second part - even though I'm painfully aware that I'll have to wait a long time for it.
If this book turns up in a book box, I will definitely renew my subscription.

What a book.

This is everything you want in a fantasy world. It’s steeped in politics and betrayal, intrigue and drama, lust and murder.

I was hooked from the first few chapters and the plot twists kept me guessing until the very end. I love that each and every single character has a flaw. Scarlett and Mira are morally grey in the best possible way.

Scarlett’s first chapter? I have never been more shocked, that bit of character development was phenomenal.

I loved every page, the trick is to trust nobody.

Will definitely be reading the next one!

4.5 stars rounded down.
Wow, I had such a good time with this book! I loved the characters, the world, the magic, the politics (the politics!), and how committed the author was to the high stakes that are set up right at the beginning. There is a great balance between plot and character, and though there is romance with some pretty intense stakes, this is a fantasy-forward novel with great medium pacing (my favorite).
This book does morally grey the right way, and I loved every second of it. Great start to a new series, I will for sure be picking up the sequel.

Thank you NetGalley and Hodderscape for the ARC.

If you're looking for a book filled with betrayals, revenge and political intrigue in a fantasy world, that makes you question everyone's intentions. Look no further.

The twists and turns, the constant shifting alliances and betrayals will have you on the edge of your seat. With MESSY relationships, courtly politics and romances that could risk everything I could barely stand to put this book down. It wasn't until I finished this, I found out it was a debut and it's a solid read from a new author and a strong start to a series.

The characters felt real and complex, they often had me cursing at their choices, and if that isn't the sign of good characterisation then I don't know what is! The magic system is interesting and I'm hoping we get to learn even more about in future books, and the way the magic itself came to play in the tale and in particular in the political battles in court was superb.